THE WEEK Heritage Awards 2026: Celebrating the artisans behind India’s living legacy

From a handloom fabric woven over days to a traditional melody passed down generations, India’s heritage is as much about its people as it is about its past. The challenge is to ensure that those who keep these traditions alive also benefit from them. At THE WEEK Heritage Awards 2026, Union Minister of Culture and Tourism Gajendra Singh Shekhawat called for positioning India’s heritage as a strategic national asset, with tourism playing a greater role in cultural preservation, employment generation and economic growth.

Shekhawat, the chief guest at the ceremony held at the Prime Ministers Museum and Library (PMML) in Delhi on October 27, said India’s historical wealth needed to be presented through experiences that allowed visitors to understand its civilisation rather than merely photograph its monuments. “A monument may belong to history, but the civilisation it represents belongs to eternity,” he said.

The discussions brought together policymakers, tourism officials, cultural practitioners and experts to examine how India could move beyond sightseeing and develop destinations around its living traditions.

Shekhawat pointed to a change in travel preferences, particularly after the Covid-19 pandemic, with visitors increasingly seeking experiences rather than simply visiting prominent landmarks. “India is a most diverse country. Whatever a tourist may aspire for, we have something to offer on our platter,” he said, pointing to improving infrastructure, a growing economy and increasing spending capacity as opportunities for the sector.

But diversity alone cannot make a destination successful. Connectivity, clean surroundings, trained guides, interpretation facilities and quality visitor amenities are essential to making historical sites accessible and meaningful.

The economic ambition is equally significant. Under the Viksit Bharat 2047 vision, India aims to increase tourism’s contribution to national GDP from around 6 per cent to 10 per cent.

Ashwani Lohani, director of PMML, brought the discussion to the practical realities of tourism. While digital platforms have transformed travel planning, he cautioned against allowing technology to replace human interaction. “Tourism is all about movement of human beings and human-to-human interaction. Let the human touch remain,” he said.

The discussion also moved to institutions preserving India’s historical memory. Dr Ravi K. Mishra, joint director of PMML, spoke about its efforts to combine archival conservation with modern technology.

Established in 1966 as the Nehru Memorial Museum and Library, PMML houses more than three crore pages of private papers relating to around 1,300 prominent individuals and institutions. The challenge, Mishra indicated, is to make historical records accessible without compromising the preservation of original material.

The human dimension of heritage was particularly evident in the discussion on India’s handloom and textile sector. Drawing a parallel with THE WEEK’s tag line, ‘Journalism with a Human Touch’, Padmini Singla, joint secretary, fibre, Union ministry of textiles, described traditional handloom as ‘fabric with a human touch’. Behind every weave, she suggested, lies the skill, patience and inherited knowledge of an artisan.

The panel brought together voices from the textile industry, tourism and design. The National Jute Board and the ministry of textiles, along with Jute Mark India, were among the associate sponsors of the awards, reflecting the event’s engagement with India’s traditional textile and craft sectors.

Kishan Singh Ghughtyal, head of department and joint director at the National Jute Board, Union ministry of textiles, highlighted the employment potential of the sector, which provides work to around 4.5 crore people.

Shikha Ajmera of Shikha’s Kariigarii emphasised that artisans needed recognition for their work and that traditional crafts should be presented in ways that encourage visitors to discover the people and places behind them. Referring to Udaipur palace, she suggested that tourists should also be encouraged to explore Chitrakar Gali, where traditional artists work.

Padmarani Seela, chief marketing and communication officer at the Andhra Pradesh Tourism Authority, said storytelling could become an important part of tourism. Visitors increasingly want to understand the story behind an artwork rather than simply look at the finished product.

Risha Roy, associate professor and lead for sustainable fashion and textile design at Anant National University, highlighted the complexity of traditional craft production. A single craft product could pass through more than a dozen processes before reaching the consumer, but much of the labour and specialised knowledge involved often goes unnoticed.

The state tourism panel offered examples of how this broader approach could translate into destination development. Uttar Pradesh Tourism, Odisha Tourism and Maharashtra Tourism supported the awards, underlining the importance of state-led efforts to promote India’s cultural and tourism offerings.

Ashish Kumar, managing director of the Uttar Pradesh State Tourism Development Corporation, highlighted how Ayodhya’s annual festival of lights had helped the city gain wider recognition.

He emphasised that festivals, arts and crafts were integral to the cultural identity of a destination.

Neelesh Ushatai Ramesh Gatne, managing director of the Maharashtra Tourism Development Corporation, presented an unconventional proposal to expand the state’s tourism offerings through underwater experiences. The project involves a Triton submarine offering a 360-degree view of the underwater environment, alongside the development of an artificial coral reef.

Manvi Jagan, general manager (marketing) of the Telangana Tourism Development Corporation, drew attention to the state’s lesser-known heritage attractions. For instance, the Kakatiya dynasty’s sophisticated network of tanks reflected the historical relationship between architecture, engineering and local geography.

Ritu Kataria, assistant director (media and communication) at the Union ministry of tourism, said India had no shortage of destinations but needed to create greater awareness about those that remained outside the mainstream map.

Experiential tourism was another important thread running through the discussions. Shoba George, founder of The Extra Mile, identified three elements that shape meaningful travel—the landscape, the culture as it is lived and the people who preserve local knowledge and traditions. Recalling the Changpa nomads of the high-altitude regions, she described how their way of life, their relationship with animals and their production of pashmina could offer visitors an understanding of a culture shaped by geography and survival.

The day began with sand artist Rajat taking the audience through a visual performance, and the evening culminated in a jugalbandi featuring Kartikeya Vashist on the flute and Kapil Sharma on the tabla.

Their performance offered a reminder that heritage is not simply preserved in museums, it survives because artistes continue to practise, reinterpret and pass it on.

Mysore Sandal Soap joined the celebrations as the fragrance partner, while Silk Mark India was the silk purity partner, bringing together two associations that resonate with India’s traditions of craftsmanship, natural products and textile heritage.